Derrick Comedy has been so busy making and promoting their feature film debut Mystery Team, that they haven’t had the time to produce a new internet short film/comedy sketch in almost two whole years. Until now, that is. Derrick is releasing the short film “Boy Band” online to celebrate the further expansion of their indie comedy feature. To me, “Boy Band”, is a perfect example of why I love these guys. It’s so very politically incorrect in all the right ways, the lyrics are brilliantly written, and the production is top notch, especially for an internet production (to me it looks as good, if not better, than any of the Digital Shorts on SNL).

A rough cut of “Boy Band” premiered at the Alamo Drafhouse before the national premiere of Mystery Team. But aside from the Austin Texas audience who were in attendance at that screening, you are the first to see the new short. Derrick has decided to premiere the new short film exclusively on /Film, as a way of saying thanks to you guys, the /Film readers, for the continued support of their debut feature.

For the past month, Derrick has asked you to DEMAND that Mystery Team play in your town, and now Roadside has announced that the movie is coming to some of the most demanded cities. Derrick tells us that the theatrical release will continue into the new year, so if you want to see the movie, DEMAND IT in your town, and tell your friends do the same. Watch the new short film after the jump, followed by information about Mystery Team’s Holiday expansion plans.

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When Paramount Pictures announced that they were planning a viral limited release for the indie horror film Paranormal Activity, most people wrote it off as the studio dumping the film in a few theaters before the enviable dvd/blu-ray release. At /Film, we immediately saw the potential of the Demand it campaign, especially when it comes to small film distribution. This even prompted Derrick Comedy to launch their own Demand It campaign for the indie comedy film Mystery Team (Demand that Mystery Team come to your city now!).

This weekend, Paranormal Activity expanded to 33 cities. The campaign worked and the Thursday through Saturday midnight screenings sold out in all venues, earning a per screen of $16,000 for a total estimated gross of $535,000. Hundreds of thousands of fans across the country have voted for their cities on the Eventful Demand It website, prompting Paramount to expand to over 40-markets. Beginning next Friday, October 9th, Paramount will begin offering the movie at all hours, including the previous midnight only venues.

The DERRICK Comedy group, aka the folks behind the movie Mystery Team, did a killer panel at recently Comic Con. One of the highlights was a new Mystery Team short called The Case of the Haunted Hotel, which showed just how the comedy group packs some really sick jokes into an unsettlingly friendly atmosphere. Now the short is online to help promote the roadshow rollout of the feature prior to its nationwide opening in October. The excellent short is after the break. Read More »

Roadside Attractions has released an official green band movie trailer for Derrick Comedy’s Mystery Team , the comedy sensation of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Cinematical described it as “Encyclopedia Brown meets Napoleon Dynamite with a pinch of Ace Ventura” and CinemaBlend called it “the Rocky Horror Picture Show of mystery movies.” Film School Rejects called it “perfect comedy for the internet generation.” And we said it is ” funnier and more original than 99% of the comedies Hollywood releases now-a-days.” Watch the new trailer after the jump!

The film doesn’t hit theaters until Fall 2009, but as you have probably heard, there is going to be a sneak preview screening in San Diego during Comic-Con. Roadside has given us 12 single tickets to give away to /Film readers who will be in attendance at the con.

The screening is going to take place on Thursday, July 23rd at 8:00pm at Horton Plaza. Please only enter the contest if you’re going to be in San Diego and will be able to attend the screening. How do you enter? Send us an e-mail at slashfilm@gmail.com telling us why you should be invited to the special Mystery Team screening. Please include your full name and phone number. We will privately notify winners on Tuesday night by e-mail

ComingSoon has posted a photo (right) of one of the banners on display outside the San Diego Convention Center, promoting James Cameron‘s Avatar. The image shows a close-up of one of the ten foot blue tribal alien creatures called Na’vi. Warner Bros’ panel announcement included confirmation that Hall H will be set-up to screen 3D footage, which pretty much gaurentees that Fox will present footage from Avatar in 3D. I’m guessing that the same footage that premiered in Amsterdam at the cinema expo will be screened.

You’ve heard the buzz online, now see the movie! Derrick Comedy‘s Mystery Team will be presenting a special sneak preview screening (yes, the whole movie) on Thursday, July 23rd at 8pm at the Horton Plaza theaters. How can you attend the screening? Passes will be available at the Mystery Team booth on the show floor on either Wednesday night (preview night) or Thursday.

Tickets are now on sale for the Saturday night midnight screening of Darren Lynn Bousman‘s Repo! The Genetic Opera. Head on over to Fandango to purchase tickets. I’ve heard Bousman will be in attendance, and possibly some other cast members.

MTV has learned that Overture Films will be premiering a few select scenes from the sci-fi horror thriller Pandorum on July 23. The panel will include stars Ben Foster, Cung Le and Antje Traue (Cam Gigandet and Dennis Quaid will not be in attendance but Quaid has recorded a special taped greeting.

Mike Judge will be presenting footage from his new film Extract on July 25. But those not attending Comic Con don’t need to worry, MTV.com will be premiering the footage online at the same time as the panel. No word on if any cast members will be in attendance at the panel. [MTV]

Update: Miramax has confirmed that Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, & Kristen Wiig will also be on the panel, which takes place at 1pm in Hall H.

FirstShowing is reporting that Shane Acker‘s 9 will have a special sneak preview screening. Not sure when and where, but I’m sure tickets will be available somewhere on the show floor.

As Comic Con approaches, we’ll be learning more and more about what we can expect at this year’s geek fest.

First up, I’ve learned that Derrick Comedy’s Mystery Team will not only have a booth on the convention floor, but will be holding a panel and a special sneak preview screening at the con. No word on the exact dates. Writers/stars Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson, producer Meggie McFadden, and director/editor Dan Eckman will be on hand at the panel debuting an all-new Mystery Team short film. On the convention floor:

Come bust kid criminals with Oakdale’s best eighteen-year-old kid detectives the Mystery Team in their storefront slash crime lab. Meet the filmmakers, take pictures with actual setpieces, and submit a mystery of your own for solving.

Next up, Donnie Darko/Southland Tales director Richard Kellysays he will be making an appearance at the con to promote his upcoming sci-fi thriller The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella. The panel will take place on Friday, July 24th as part of the Warner Bros presentation. Cameron, James and Richard will be in attendance to present a first look at the trailer and “other cool stuff.”

I know I might be stating the obvious, but the bad economic times have hit every industry, including the movie industry. Earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, it was a very different scene than previous years. I don’t have the exact figures but it appeared that a lot fewer films were acquired compared to previous years. This of course left many films in a questionable state. Earlier this week, the Jim Carrey/Ewan McGregor comedy I Love You, Philip Morrisfinally got bought.

If a Jim Carrey comedy is having that much trouble, you can imagine where this leaves the true independents, regardless if they might be the most marketable indie at the festival or not. Thankfully, good things come to those who wait. Derrick Comedy’s Mystery Team has finally been acquired by Lionsgate’s indie label Roadside Attractions.

Cinematical described it as “Encyclopedia Brown meets Napoleon Dynamite with a pinch of Ace Ventura” and CinemaBlend called it “the Rocky Horror Picture Show of mystery movies.” Film School Rejects called it “perfect comedy for the internet generation.” And we said it is ” funnier and more original than 99% of the comedies Hollywood releases now-a-days.” No word yet on an exact release date, but we’ve heard the words “this fall” and “Nationwide.” Read the full press release after the jump.

As the 2009 Sundance Film Festival comes to a close, I was shocked to learn that Derrick Comedy’s Mystery Team has still not been bought by a big Hollywood distributor. This is shocking for a number of reasons, first of which is that Mystery Team is probably the most marketable unsold film in the entire festival. Some might argue that I Love You Philip Morris might take the top slot, but big actors like Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor might not be enough to sell a romantic comedy about two gay men to Middle America.

Mystery Team is a sketch comedy film which transcends the genre, features no huge stars (although, Aubrey Plaza is going to be HUGE), but has more laughs than 99% of Hollywood comedies, and a better concept to boot (you can read my full review here). At its worst, Mystery Team could easily be the next Super Troopers, and its very best, if marketed well, it has the potential to reach Napoleon Dynamite-like numbers. The best part, it already has a huge Internet fanbase built in. Out of all the Sundance coverage posted on /Film, our Mystery Team review garnered the most amount of traffic, by far. And I’ve heard the same from other movie website webmasters.

Before I start my review, I think I better give you a little background.

I’m not a big fan of sketch comedy, and never have been.

I have never been able to completely place why this is, but I think it might have something to do with the obnoxiously over the top characterizations and the flat stage like set-up of most of these types of shows and films. I go to a movie theater to see something cinematic, and not just a glorified SNL sketch that has been enlarged to fit the big screen. Most sketch comedy-based films also have flimsy plots that are so thinly held together with a series of comic beats. I’m a story guy and this just doesn’t work for me. All of that said, I absolutely loved Derrick Comedy‘s Mystery Team.